Telephone instrument.



P. B. CLARKE.

TELEPHONE INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED DEE. 27. 1910.

1,004,995, Patented O0t.3,191 1 IPEE'IE BASIL CLARKE, 0F LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND.

TELEPHOIbIE INSTRUMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 3, 1911.

Application filed December 27, 1910. Serial No. 599,322.

marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention has reference to mouthpieccs of telephone instruments, of the type which enable persons to make use of a telephone instrument without other persons standing close to the instrument being able to hear what is spoken into the transmitter, and at the same time which enables the user to take in and emit breath. Instruments of this character which have heretofore been provided, have not been satisfactory, and have not met all the requirements of the case in the use of such appliances; and the object of the present invention is to improve this kind of apparatus orappliance, and render it efficient and satisfactory, and of general usefulness in speaking into the instrument.

The walls of the mouthpiece is provided with soundproof ventilating apertures, and means whereby the attachment is always maintained in a clean condition, and not liable to prove injurious to the health of the user, that is, the attachment is adapted to be fitted with means whereby the outer surface thereofwhich comes next to the face of the speaker can be renewed or removed and adapted to be provided with moisture collooting means, and means for rendering such moisture non-injm'ious to health.

A mouthpiece for the transmitter of a telephone or like instrument provided with the improvements under this invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a part sectional side elevation of the mouthpiece illustrating the same in use; and Fig. 2 is a front elevation of same. 3 is a plan view of a modified form of the mouthpiece shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Referring to the drawings, the mouthpiece or attachment 4 is provided with ventilating apertures 10 to enable the user to breathe freely; and over these apertures is fitted a cowl or cover 1, which is either detachably or permanently connected to the mouthpiece or casing in such a manner that the open end thereof leading to the apertures 10 is nearer the small end of the casing, and that part is attached to the casing nearer the large end thereof; while the sides of the cover or cowl l are also connected with the casing, so that any sound uttered in the attachment has no direct access to the ventilating apertures 10.

The space between the cover or cowl 1 and the mouthpiece body is so filled with cotton wool 2, or its equivalent, as to permit access and egress of air to and from the casing, and at the same time deaden the effect of any sound uttered therein. The wool 2, or its equivalent may be medicated, or possess antiseptic properties to render the use of such an attachment sanitary and not deleterious to health. Or, a disinfect-ant or other sanitary substance itself may be employed between the cowl or cover 1 and the air apcrtures 10,and may be arranged so that the air passes over it only when entering the casing, or when passing in and out thereof. The casing is preferably so shaped and constructed, and the cowl or cover device and means for deadening the effect of sound so disposed relatively thereto, as to cause any moisture occurring on the interior surface of the casin to gravitate toward and be absorbed by the said wool or its equivalent;

where wool or the like is employed for this purpose it will be of such a nature and be so treated, as to not only render the attachment sanitary, but dry in use, the wool'being absorbent as well as antiseptic.

For preventing moisture collecting on the interior walls of the attachment they are provided with an absorbent liner which may be removably fitted therein and adapted to be replaced by new or dry liners as the others become unfit for use. The liners are preferably so treated as to render the moisture inocuous, and not objectionable in con ncction with the use of the attachment. The liners preferably consist of paper or other material possessing absorbent, medicating, or antiseptic properties, and be of such a nature as not to prevent sound uttered in the attachment having its full effect on the transmitter disk.

The mouthpiece 4, generally, is more or i of triangular form in side and front eleration, and approximates to the trustum of a hollow triangular pyramid; the smaller end being adapted to fit close to the transmitter disk oi the telephone instrument, in the same manner as usual mouthpiece of such an instrument, and the larger end 6 being adapted to lit against the face of the, speaker, that is, around the mouth portion of the face, as shown.

The attachment may be so constructed as to be disposed at right angles to the inner end portion thereof, as shown in the drawings, either with a flexible portion 7 shown in Fig. 2, or with a shorter arm portion as shown in Fig. 8. W here the arm portion is as shown in Fig. 3, the flexibility of the mouthpiece relatively to the telephone instrument is obtained through the body of the instrument, and the arm portion; in this or botlrconstructions the mouthpiece may be constituted of flexible material in the known manner, and be either single or double, with a layer of sound deadening material between the double layers of ma- 'terial.

8 is a soft flexiblefacing, such as a pneumatic tube of indi'a-rubber or similar flexible material, WfllCll is attached to the outer end of the mouthpiece, and is adapted to take to the contour of the face of the speaker shown in Fig. 1, and at the same time to permit of the mouth moving for speaking purposes, without allowing sound uttered to escape at this end. This soft flexible facing 8, when ,of india-rubbcr/or like material, is covered with some textile or woven mate rial which may or may not be detachable; and the flexible facing itself is detachably connected to the ou: er end. of the telephone attachment 4, and is fitted with an endless or ring portion 9, adapted to spring into the said outer end 6, and be retained therein as shown in Fi 1. A series of flexible facings 8 may be provided with each attachment, each of a diiierent size so far as the face portion is concerned, so as to suit faces of different contour, or Where several per plurality of openings mg fitting within 'the outer tapered casing sons make use of the same telephone attachment, they may each have their own de tachable facing portion for reasons Wl\llCll are obvious.

What claimed is:-

1. In a device of the class described the combination of an outer casing provided with openings, said outer casing having a sound outlet tube. at one end, an inner cas ing spaced from the outer casil'ig, a layer of absorl'ient material in the space :torn'ied between the inner and outer casings, and a flexible bead at the free edges of the outer and inner casings. I

2. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of an outer casing formed with a plurality of openings and at one g-ind with an exit tube, an inner casing whiclr'lits snugly the inner wall of the outer casing near one end and gradually extends inwardly from said outer casing to provide a space which communicates with the interior of the outer casing, the said inner casing I terminatii'lg in advance of the exit tube, the space being filled with absorbent n'iaterial, and a flexible bead at the free edges of the outer and inner casings.

3. In a device of the character described,

the combination of a tapered outer casing provided at its smaller end with a tubular sound OXlt tube, sai l outer using haying a an imicr tapered easand terminating between the plurality of openings and the tubular sound exit, the outer portion of said inner tapering casing being in contact with and secured to the outer tapered casing, the inner portion of the inner casing being spaced from the outer casing, said space comnumicatiug with the interior of the outer casing.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. 

